Categories: Hybrid / Green

Throughout most of their history, pickup trucks have been all about size and power—which makes sense, given that they’re also all about work. But, if a new concept vehicle from Nissan catches on, all of that may be about to change. Dubbed “Sparky,” it brings modern battery technology to the truck world.

Okay, you’ve got $25 grand to spend, and you want a little car that’s small enough to maneuver through traffic, yet still has enough room for 4 (5 in a pinch), and a reasonably sized trunk. What are your options? Well, if you’re the sort of person that actually eats fiber in order to maintain a regular schedule, then you might consider the 2014 Honda Civic Hybrid. It’s got a roomy interior with nice materials and a raft of electronic gadgets. The Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system yields a 401k-friendly 45 average mpg, and it’ll depreciate even slower than it accelerates. But if you’re the sort of person that conquers constipation with Taco Bell and a 12-pack, then you’d probably be interested in the 2013 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart. It’s got a powerful turbo-4, AWD, and more attitude than a constipated teenager. Decisions, decisions…

While the switch to an all-aluminium body has helped the current generation Range Rover obtain a noticeable improvement in fuel efficency over its steel-bodied predcessor, the quest for efficiency is still ongoing for the company. The future could include embracing electrification and launching an EV-based variant to join the Range Rover-branded model lineup, if a new report from England is to be believed in its entirety.

Electric cars are here to stay, and Volkswagen has jumped on the Battery Bandwagon with a fully electric version of the new Mk7 Golf. The EPA just completed energy consumption tests on the 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf, and it scored near the top of the 2015 EV segment; its 116 combined miles per gallon equivalent makes it the most efficient in that segment. Click through to see how the Golf EV fared against the rest of the 2015 electric cars.

In September, 2,881 people bought a 2014 Nissan Leaf. That funky looking EV boasts best in class, range, distinctive styling, and an affordable base price of $28,800. Nissan took a huge risk bringing this all-electric hatchback to market, and buyers responded by making it the best-selling EV in America. The battery-powered 2014 Ford Focus Electric hasn’t been nearly as well received, and Ford just slashed the price by $6,000 to stir sales. But will that be enough?

The compact luxury crossover market is white-hot at the moment. Everybody from BMW to Lincoln is vying to sell the newly appointed district manager’s wife a leather-trimmed Cute-UTE. Content and style is paramount to making a sale, and the uber-angular 2015 Lexus NX looks ready to claim a sizable chunk of the market. But what do you get for your husband’s hard earned money? Let’s find out…

The all-electric Tesla Model S has actually made the idea of driving an American car cool again. This long-range luxury touring sedan has revolutionized the way we look at EVs. And now they’re going to change the way we look at performance. Say hello to the crazy-fast Tesla Model S P85D.

One of the major complaints of electric vehicle owners is the lack of convenient places to charge the battery of the vehicle. The landscape of available charging stations is growing but the cost is high and finding the space for them is difficult.

When you buy a gas-powered vehicle you have to factor in gas prices, but you assume a gas station will be there when you need one. It’s not so easy when you buy an electric-powered car. You still have to account for fees when using public charging stations, but you can’t count on one being convenient when you need it. The money, time to charge, and lack of stations are hurdles that EV sellers are trying to deal with.

This story is about another Tesla Model S fire. It seems like this happens frequently but does it really, or is it just that we don’t hear about the “other” vehicles that catch on fire? Tesla says its vehicles are safer that gas-powered cars and it seems that even with more safety modifications being made to the Model S, news reporters want to point out every instance of the electric car catching fire.